Shloka 24

Devanagari script

मया मन्त्रबलं ज्ञातुमाहूतस्त्वं विभावसो । बाल्याद्‌ बालोति तत्‌ कृत्वा क्षन्तुमहसि मे विभो,'प्रभो! प्रभाकर! मैंने अपने बाल-स्वभावके कारण मन्त्रका बल जाननेके लिये ही आपका आवाहन किया है। एक अनजान बालिका समझकर आप मेरे इस अपराधको क्षमा कर दें"

Transliteration

mayā mantrabalaṁ jñātum āhūtas tvaṁ vibhāvaso | bālyād bālo iti tat kṛtvā kṣantum arhasi me vibho ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Ôi Vibhāvasu (Thần Lửa), con triệu thỉnh Ngài chỉ để biết sức mạnh của thần chú. Vì tính trẻ dại nên con đã làm vậy; xin Ngài, coi con như một bé gái ngây thơ, hãy tha thứ cho lỗi lầm này, hỡi đấng quyền uy.”

Word by Word

मयाby me

मन्त्रबलम्the power of the mantra

ज्ञातुम्to know

आहूतःhaving been invoked/called

त्वम्you

विभावसोO Vibhāvasu (Agni)

बाल्यात्from childishness / due to childhood

बालःchildish / a child

इतिthus

तत्that (act)

कृत्वाhaving done

क्षन्तुम्to forgive

अर्हसिyou ought / you should

मेof me / my

विभोO mighty one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vibhāvasu (Agni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical accountability in spiritual practice: one should not test sacred power out of curiosity or immaturity, and when a fault is committed, humility and a sincere request for forgiveness are the proper response.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker addresses Vibhāvasu (Agni), admitting that the invocation was done merely to gauge mantra-power. The speaker frames the act as youthful folly and asks the deity to pardon the offense.